Petition against North Ave. name change gets hundreds of signatures

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO/KJCT)-- The group "Keep North Avenue 4 Ever" has more than 60 petitioners gathering signatures around the community in order to stop the name change to University Boulevard.

The effort to change the name is to bring the University and the community closer together but comes with a lot of controversy.

"Honestly I could go either way,” said concierge & body piercing apprentice at Calamity Jane’s tattoo on North Avenue, Jacintah Abernathy.

The road is generating lots of opinions.

"I've heard arguments for it and really good arguments against it but at this point we are just going to have to see what happens,” said Nick Jordan, who works at Board & Buckle on North Ave.

Grand Junction City Council approved changing North Avenue to University Blvd. back in August.

"When I have worked in university districts in the past business has always been good whether it's been a sandwich shop or the tattoo shop or wherever it might be,” said Owner, of Calamity Jane’s tattoo on North Ave. Aaron Legore.

Petitioners against the name change won't tell us how many signatures they've collected so far, but they expect triple the 2,500 they need to present to city council.

"I think that if we put enough pressure on them as a community and as the public and as petitioners that maybe we will get a couple people on city council to sway and get them to revisit it so that they will rescind the change without the petition,” said “Keep North Ave 4 Ever” member Mackenzie Dodge.

Once presented to the council, they can decide to keep the North Avenue the same or hold a special election.

"I don't think it was done correctly maybe if I was given more facts I wouldn't be so adamant about keeping it North Ave,” said the owner of Black Carriage Furniture, Jerald Hawkins.

If the name change goes to a vote by the people, the city tells us it would cost taxpayers roughly $35,000.

"I’m not against the university, not against the name change I am against the way this was done,” said Dodge.

They have 180 days to gather signatures they need at least 2,500 signatures in order to stop this name change going through.

Since the election is coming up they have 60 extra days after voting day to get their signatures in.

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